Tufting machine



m 1963 R. 1.. THOMPSON 3,093,100

TUFTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 44 Roscoe Lee Thom mom ORNEYS June 11, 1963 R. L. THOMPSON 3,093,

TUFTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Rascoe Lee Thain 2950M J1me 1963 R. L. THOMPSON 3, 0

TUF TING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Roscae Lee 722027 05022 BY ma mal M A ORNEYS J1me 1963 R. L. THOMPSON 3,

TUFTING MACHINE ATTORNEY$ J1me 1963 R. 1.. THOMPSON 3,093, 0

TUFTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Aascae Lee Thom 27am ATTORNEYS June 11, 1963 R. L. THOMPSON TUFTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR Roscoe Lee Thaw won United States Patent tion of Georgia Filed Sept. 5, 1961, Ser. No. 135,828

6 Claims. (Cl. 112-79) This invention relates to tufting apparatus and more particularly to improved apparatus for producing patterns of high and low tufts on wide multiple needle tufting machines of the type used in the production of sewn pile carpeting and the like.

In these tufting machines, a suitable base fabric is fed past one or more rows of reciprocable needles carrying pile yarns. As each needle pierces the base fabric, it inserts a portion of the pile yarn carried thereby and brings the inserted portion of the pile yarn into a position where it may be engaged by a suitable looper device. The looper holds the inserted portion of the pile yarn during withdrawal of the needle to form a pile loop projecting from the side of the base fabric opposite the needle. The loops so formed may be cut or they may be left uncut, as desired.

Interesting pattern effects may be achieved by varying the heights of the tufts produced, and much attention has been given to mechanisms for controlling tuft height by exercising control over the rates at which the yarns are fed to the needles. In one form of apparatus that has been used extensively, the pile yarns are fed toward the needles by two sets of moving bars that move along endless paths and intermesh in the zone where they contact the yarns. In this zone, each of the pile yarns extends along an undulating path passing over the projecting edges of the bars of the two sets. During each cycle of needle operation, one bar from each set is moved out of the zone of intermeshing of the bars to make available to the needles the amounts of yarns that have been stored in the undulations formed by these bars. Certain of the bars are provided with indentations in their yarn-contacting edges so shaped as to cause variations in the amounts of yarn stored in these undulations. As a result, the several yarns which go to form the pile surface of the fabric may be fed at different rates and pile tufts of different heights may be formed. The pattern in which indentations of various depths appear on the bars of the yarn feeding mechanism controls the pattern of the high and low loops formed on the fabric itself.

Although this general arrangement has many advantages, its utility has been subject to certain limitations. In machines for producing carpeting of a width of fifteen feet, for example, it was the practice prior to the present invention to construct the sets of yarn-feeding bars in the form of a plurality of units arranged end-to-end across the width of the machine. This technique made it possible to obtain near-perfect alignment of the intermeshing bars in any given zone, but it permitted slight variations between zones. These slight variations frequently have resulted in the production of visible streaks in the pile fabric produced by the machines. 7

Another limitation that has been experienced in connection with machines of this type is a limitation on the pattern effects that can be produced. When such a machine has been set up, its pattern-producing potential is fixed by the number of pattern bars employed and by the locations and depths of the indentations in these bars. No further variations in the locations of the high and low loops can be produced by the machines known prior to the present invention without disassembling the pattern bar mechanisms.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a "Tree 2 tufting machine having increased flexibility in its capacity for producing patterns of high. and low tufts and being capable of producing tufted fabrics that have no streaks therein.

The foregoing and other objects may be realized, according to a prefer-red embodiment of the invention, by the provision of a wide tufting machine having a plurality of longitudinally spaced rows of tufting needles, having a Wide pattern bar mechanism extending from side-toside of the machine, and having a longitudinally shiftable yarn guiding device for directing the pile yarns into the zone of intermeshing of the pattern bars.

.The pattern bar assemblies include rigid supports, and they are provided with means to facilitate adjustment thereof to assure that the pattern bars will be disposed in parallel relationship in the zone of intermeshing of the bars of the two sets. The continuity of the pattern bars from side-to-side of the machine makes the production of streaks in the fabric virtually impossible.

With the tufting needles disposed in a plurality of parallel rows, the rate of advance of the base fabric or backing strip through the machine can be adjusted so that a transverse row of tufts will be produced in part by one row of needles on one excursion of the'needle bar and in part by another row of needles on another excursion of the needle bar. Hence, two different pattern bars will affect the pattern of high and low tufts in any given transverse row of tufts. If the yarns are fed to the zone of intermeshing of the pattern bars without transverse movement, it makes little difference that more than one pattern bar enters into the control of the heights of the tufts in each transverse row of tufts. However, the present invention contemplates the lateral shifting of the pile yarns as they enter the zone of intermeshing of the sets of pattern bars to multiply the pattern effects that can be produced with a given machine set-up. The continuity of the pattern bars from one side of the machine to the other makes such lateral movements of the pile yarns entirely feasible.

A more complete understanding of these and other features of the invention may be gained from a consideration of the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in vertical section of a multiple needle tu-fting machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 in FIG. 1 and illustrating the arrangement of the tufting needles on the needle bar of the machine;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the machine illustrating the wide pattern bar assemblies employed therein;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the chain and pattern bar assemblies in greater detail on a larger scale and having some of the parts broken away;

'FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. ,7 is a perspective view of a support member used to hold the pattern bars in parallel relationship in the zone of intermeshing thereof;

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 88 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 9-3 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line IM-=10 in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 11 is an exploded view illustrating the configurations of the yarn-contacting edges of a typical pair of cooperating pattern bars.

The tufting machine illustrated in FIGURE 1 includes a frame structure designated generally by the reference numeral 12. This machine is provided with rotatable sand rollers 14 and 16 for advancing a backing sheet 18 of some suitable material capable of being pierced by the needles of the machine. The sand rollers 14 and 16 intermittently advance the backing sheet 18 in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 1.

The machine includes a conventional needle bar 20 which extends the full transverse width of the backing sheet 18 and is mounted on plungers 22. These plungers 22 reciprocate the needle bar 20 vertically by means of suitable mechanisms (not shown) housed within a casing 24.

Carried by and depending from the needle bar 20 are a plurality of tufting needles 26 and 28. As shown in FIGURE 2, the needles 26 and 28 are disposed in two rows spaced from each other in the direction of feed of the backing sheet 18. The amount of the spacing is approximately equal to a whole multiple of the distance the backing sheet 18 is advanced during intervals between successive fabric-piercing operations of the needles. It will also be observed from FIGURE 2 that the needles 26 of one row are staggered with respect to the needles 28. of the other row. Both rows of needles 26 and 28 extend across the full width of the backing sheet 18. Vertical reciprocation of the needle bar 20 causes all of the needles 26 and 28 to simultaneously pierce the backing sheet 18.

Pile yarns 30 are supplied to the individual needles 26 and 28 from conventional yarn supplies of the type that will permit the feeding of each individual yarn at a rate which is independent of the rates of feed of the other yarns being supplied to the needles. Such yarn supplies are well known and they need not be illustrated or described in detail here. The pile yarns 30 are advanced from the yarn supplies through guide openings in a yarn guide member 32 by a feed mechanism that includes cooperating upper and lower chain and pattern bar assemblies designated generally by the numerals 34 and 36. From the yarn feed mechanism, each yarn passes through an eye in a stationary yarn guide member 37, over a yarn deflecting bar 38 movable vertically with the needle bar 20, through an eye in another stationary yarn guide member 40, and then downwardly through the eye of one of the tufting needles.

Below each of the needles 26 and 28 there is a looper 42. All of the loopers 42 may be mounted on an oscillatory shaft 44 extending beneath and transversely of the backing sheet 18. As it perforates the backing sheet 18, each needle 26 and 28 carries with it a loop of pile yarn and each such loop is engaged and held beneath the backing sheet by one of the loopers 42 during retraction of its needle. Where cut pile is to be produced, cutters of suitable construction also may be located beneath the backing sheet 18.

The yarn feeding mechanism comprising the upper and lower chain and pattern bar assemblies 34 and 36 is mounted on a rigid framework illustrated best in FIG- URES 3 and 4. This framework includes uprights in the form of I-beams 46 and 48 disposed at opposite ends of the machine and an overhead beam unit 50 fixed to the upper ends of the uprights 46 and 48. This framework is connected to the main framework 12 of the machine by brace members 52 (FIG. 1).

The upper chain and pattern bar assembly 34 includes a plurality of pattern bars 54 each extending the full width of the machine. The number of pattern bars 54 is equal to, or is a whole multiple of, the number of transversely extending pile loops or tufts in a basic pattern unit, called a repeat, in the tufted pile fabric being produced. Each of the pattern bars 54 is fixed at intervals along its length to each of a plurality of chains 56. Each of the chains 56 extends in an endless vertical path passing around an upper sprocket wheel 58 and a pair of lower sprocket wheels 60.

The lower sprocket wheels 60 are mounted for free rotation about the axes of bolts 62 secured to brackets 64 and 66 fixed to the bottom flange of a rigid I-beam 68 extending across the full width of the machine. The end portions of the beam 68 are secured rigidly but adjustably to the uprights 46 and 48 by bolt means 70 cooperating with vertically elongated slots 72 in the walls of the uprights 46 and 48.

The upper sprocket wheels 58 are fixed to an elongated drive shaft 74 for rotation therewith. The drive shaft 74 extends across the full width of the machine and is rotata-bly mounted at intervals along its length in bearing blocks 76 fixed to the upper flange of an I-beam 78 that also extends the full width of the machine. The ends of the beam 78 are rigidly but adjustably connected to the uprights 46 and 48 by bolts 80 cooperating with vertically elongated slots 82 in the walls of the uprights 46 and 48.

The structural relationship between the end portions of the I-beam 78 and the adjacent walls of the I-beam that form the upright 48 is illustrated in detail in FIGURE 10. Angle members 83 are welded to the end of the central web of the I-beam 78 and extend laterally out to the flanges of the I-beam forming the upright 48. The bolts 80 then pass through openings in both the angle members 83 and the flanges of the upright 48. This arrangement is typical of the arrangements used elsewhere in securing the end portions of the transversely extending I-beams of the pattern bar assemblies to the upright supports 46 and 48.

It will be apparent that the length of the endless paths followed by the chains 56 depends upon the number of transverse rows of pile loops in the pattern unit or repeat that the tufting machine is to produce. A pattern that repeats itself after only a few rows of loops have been formed would require only a small number of pattern bars 54, but a different pattern in which the basic pattern unit is longer would require a larger number of pattern bars 54. In order to make it feasible to produce a wide variety of patterns, it is necessary, therefore, that the length of the endless paths followed by the chains 56 of the upper pattern bar assembly 34 be adjustable over a wide range. In the illustrated embodiment, adjustments of this character can be accomplished by passing the bolts 80 through different ones of the elongated openings 82 in the uprights '46 and 48. As shown in the drawings, there are a number of these openings 82 so that the upper beam 78 may be secured to the uprights 46 and 48 at a variety of levels.

In a typical commercial installation, the I-beam 78 must be a massive member. Carpeting material frequently is produced in widths of fifteen feet, and in a machine capable of producing such wide carpeting material the I-beam 78 must be very long. Moreover, it must support substantially the entire weight of the chains 56 and the pattern bars 54 without permitting substantial deflection at the central portion of the beam 78.

The great weights involved make it very difiicult to adjust the vertical positions of the end portions of the beam 78. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this difliculty is overcome by the provision of screw jack means extending between the overhead beam unit 50 of the rigid framework for the feeding mechanism and the upper I-beam 78 of the upper chain and pattern bar assembly 34.

p This screw jack means includes units located close to the uprights 46 and 48, and one of these units is illustrated in detail in FIGURE 8 of the drawings. Each unit includes a rod 84 extending through an opening 86 in a top plate 88 rigidly connected to the parts of the overhead beam unit 50. The upper end portion of the rod 84 is threaded, as indicated at 98, for cooperation with nut means 92 resting upon the upper face of the top plate 88. At its lower end the rod 84 passes through an opening in a member 94 at the top of a hanger assembly and has an enlarged sleeve 96 secured thereto below the member 94. The top member 94 of the hanger assembly is secured to the =I-beam 78' by vertical struts 98 disposed on opposite sides of the drive shaft 74 so as not to interfere with the proper operation thereof. As will be apparent, the screw jack means may be operated to raise or lower the I-beam 78 and the associated parts by rotating the nuts 92 relative to the threaded end portions 90 of the rods 84.

The lower chain and pattern bar assembly 36 also includes elongate-d bars 100 extending the full Width of the machine and being secured at intervals along their lengths to chains 102 that move in endless paths about sprocket wheels 104 and 106. The upper sprocket wheels 106 are arranged in pairs, as shown in FIGURE 5, and are mounted for free rotation about the axes of bolts 108 secured to bracket members 1 mounted on the upper flange of an I-beam 112. The lower sprocket wheels 104 are fixed to a drive shaft 114 for rotation therewith, and the drive shaft 114 is rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 116 secured to the lower flange of the I-beam 112.

The I-beam 112 extends across the full width of the machine and is secured at its end portions to the uprights 46 and 48 by bolts 118 that cooperate with vertically elongated openings :12!) in the walls of the uprights 46 and 48. Small vertical adjustments in the position of the lower chain and pattern bar assembly 36 may be brought about by loosening the bolts 118, shifting the I-beam 112 vertically, and then tightening the bolts 118.

Vertical movement of the end portions of the massive I-beam 112 during such adjustments may be facilitated by the provision of suitable screw jack means such as that illustrate-d in detail in FIGURE 9 of the drawings. As shown in this view, each of the end portions of the bottom flange of the I-beam 112 has welded thereto a small framework made up of vertical members 122 and a base member 124. Each of these frameworks is slidably disposed within the flanges of the I-beams that form the uprights 46 and 48. The lower surface of each of the base members 124 is engaged by the upper end of a screw 1:26 threaded through an opening in a support 128 welded to the adjacent upright. Upon rotation of a screw 126, the cooperating framework and an end of the I-bear 112 will move vertically to move the bolts 118 relative to the elongated openings 120.

The drive shafts 74 and 114 of the upper and lower pattern bar assemblies 34 and 36 are connected together for simultaneous rotation by gear sets 130 and 132 and by a vertical shaft 134. As will be apparent, the gear of the upper set 130 which is secured to the shaft 134 must be mounted in such a way as to permit vertical adjustment of its position along the shaft 134. This result may be accomplished by any suitable means, such as by the use of a set screw or the like. Power is supplied to the lower drive shaft 114 from a gear box 136 driven in timed relationship with respect to the other parts of the tuf-ting machine by suitable drive means such as a chain 138.

If desired, additional bearing means for rotatably supporting the drive shafts 74 and 114 may be attached to the webs of the I-beams forming the uprights 46 and 48 of the stationary framework for the feed mechanism. Such bearing means have been designated generally by the numeral 140* in FIGURES 4, 8 and 9 of the drawings.

As shown best in FIGURE 5, the paths of the pattern bars 54 and 100 in the zone between the upper and lower pattern bar assemblies 34 and 36 must be exactly parallel. In order to assure that the chains 56 and 102 will travel along straight runs in this zone, chain-supporting elements 142 preferably are provided in the spaces between the sprocket wheels 60 of each pair and in the spaces between sprocket wheels 106 of each pair. A chain-support element 142 is illustrated in FIGURE 7, and a typical 6 mounting arrangement for such an element is illustrated in detail in FIGURE 6.

The manner in which the feed mechanism operates to advance pile yarns at dilferent rates will be apparent from a consideration of FIGURES 5 and 11 of the drawings. All of the bars 106 on the lower chain and pattern bar assembly 36 are of uniform height throughout their lengths, but the bars 54 of the upper chain and pattern bar assembly 34 are provided with indentations of different depths in their projecting edges. Referring to FIG- URE 11, for example, it will be observed that the indentations 144 are much deeper than the indentations 146. This causes different amounts of yarn to be stored in the spaces between adjacent ones of the bars in the zone of intermeshing between the bars 54 and 100. As the pattern bars move through a distance corresponding to the distance between adjacent ones of the bars 100, therefore, differing amounts of yarn will be made available to tufting needles of the machine.

The timing of the machine is such that, during each cycle of machine operation, the needle bar 20 makes one complete reciprocating movement to insert and withdraw the needles 26 and 28 with respect to the backing strip 1 8, and the pattern bar assemblies 34 and 36 move through a distance corresponding to the distance between adjacent ones of the bars 100. For any given cycle, therefore, the lengths of the individual pile yarns made available to the needles of the machine will depend upon the configuration of the edge of the pattern bar 54 that moves out of the zone of intermeshing between the upper and lower pattern bar assemblies 34 and 36 during that cycle. Moreover, the amount of a given yarn released by the feed mechanism controls the height of a pile loop formed from that yarn. When a yarn has been in engagement with a deep indentation 144 in the pattern bar 54 that moves out of the zone of intermeshing between the. bars 54 and 100, a short loop 148 will be formed in that yarn. When a given pile yarn has been in engagement with a shallow indentation 146 in a pattern bar 54 that moves out of the zone of intermeshing between the bars 54 and 100, a long loop 150' will be formed in that yarn.

It will be seen, therefore, that a given pattern bar 54 controls the heights of all of the pile loops inserted into the backing fabric 18 during one excursion of the needle bar 20. However, the rows of needles 26 and 28 are themselves spaced apart, so that the pile loops inserted during a single excursion of the needle bar 26 will not be disposed within a single transverse row extending across the backing fabric 118. This means that where there are two rows of needles 26 and 28 on the needle bar 26', the pattern of high and low loops in each transverse row of loops is determined by the configuration of two of the pattern bars 54. If more than two rows of needles were secured to a single needle bar, a corresponding number of the pattern bars 54 would enter into the control of loop height in each transverse row of pile loops.

The present invention makes use of the relationship described in the preceding paragraph to obtain novel patterning effects. The yarn guide member 32 onthe intake side of the feed mechanism is mounted on the uprights 46 and 48 in such a way as to permit it to be shifted longitudinally with respect to the pattern bars 54. As indicated generally in FIGURE 4, the yarn guide member 32 is slidably mounted in brackets 152 attached to the uprights 46 and 48. However, it will be understood that any other type of mounting that will permit alteration or adjustment of the longitudinal position of the yarn guide member 32 relative to the pattern bars 54 may be employed if desired.

When the yarn guide member 32 is moved relative to the pattern bars 54, it moves individual ones of the pile yarns 30 into position for cooperation with different ones of the indentations 144 and 146 in the pattern bars 54. The fact that each of the pattern bars 54 and 100,

extends continuously across the entire width of the machine is particularly important in connection with this lateral shifting movement of the pile yarns 30. In the machines of the type having pattern bar assemblies constructed in short segments disposed end-to-end, it is not feasible to shift the pile yarns materially.

This shifting of the pile yarns 30 not only changes the pattern of high and low loops in the individual pile yarns 30 but it also changes the pattern of high and low loops in the rows of loops extending transversely across the backing fabric 18. This latter effect can best be understood When it is recalled that more than one pattern bar 54 enters into the control of the heights of the loops of any given transverse row across the backing fabric 18 and when it is realized that a change in the positions of the pile yarns 36 along the pattern bars 54 can only take place between adjacent ones of the bars 54. Hence, different time periods are involved. In a given transversely extending row of loops, the heights of the loops formed by the first row of needles 26 might correspond to the patterning set-up that existed prior to a shifting movement of the yarn guide member 32. and the heights of the loops formed by the second row of needles 28 might correspond to the patterning set-up that existed after the shifting movement of the yarn guide member 32. This effect is vastly different from a mere shifting of the entire pattern laterally with respect to the fabric backing 18.

It will be seen, therefore, that this invention provides means for multiplying the patterning effects that can be achieved with a single set of pattern bar assemblies. Whereas the machines of this general type known heretofore could produce only one basic pattern unit or repeat from a given set of pattern bar assemblies, the apparatus of this invention is capable of producing many different pattern units while still utilizing only one set of pattern bar assemblies.

The effect produced by a simple shift of the yarn guide bar member 32 has been discussed above, but it will be readily apparent that the invention is not limited in this respect. The shifting movements of the yarn guide bar 32 may themselves be controlled by suitable pattern means, as suggested somewhat diagrammatically in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. In this view a simple type of pattern means 154 is shown in the form of an eccentric 156 mounted for rotation with a driven shaft 158 and having a channel 160 in one face thereof for receiving a follower roller 162 carried by an end portion of the yarn guide member 32. As the shaft 158 is rotated, the yarn guide member 32 will shift back and forth relative to the pattern bars 54 to vary the patterning effects produced by the tufting machine.

Still other modifications and variations will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that the foregoing description and illustration of an embodiment of an invention be considered as exemplary only, and that the scope of the invention be ascertained from the following claims.

I claim:

1. A wide tufting machine comprising: means for feeding fabric to be tufted; a plurality of spaced, parallel rows of needles extending laterally across the path of said fabric; a rigid framework including a pair of uprights at the sides of the machine and a horizontal cross member connected to the upper end portions of said uprights; a lower bar assembly including a rigid support connected at its ends to said uprights so as to permit vertical adjustment of its end portions, screw jacks means cooperating with the end portions of said support to facilitate vertical adjustment thereof, a drive shaft carried by said uprights and extending across said framework below said support, vertically aligned sets of sprocket wheels fixed to said drive shaft and to said support at intervals along their lengths, endless chains passing around the aligned sprocket wheels, and a set of bars each extending entirely across and being connected to all of said chains of said lower assembly; an upper bar assembly including upper and lower rigid horizontal beams spaced vertically from each other and being connected independently at their end portions to said uprights so as to permit vertical adjustments of their end portions, vertically adjustable hanger means suspended from said cross member and connected to said upper beam to facilitate vertical adjustment thereof, bearings fixed to said upper beam at intervals along its length, a drive shaft mounted in said bearings, vertically aligned sets of sprocket wheels fixed to the last-mentioned shaft and to said lower beam at intervals along their lengths, chains passing around the last-mentioned sets of sprocket wheels, and a set of pattern bars each extending entirely across and being connected to all of the chains of said upper assembly, at least some of the last-mentioned bars having spaced indentations in the projecting edges thereof; the bars of said upper assembly being disposed in intermeshing relation with the bars of said lower assembly in the zone between said assemblies; means for driving said shafts so that the chains of both assemblies move at the same speed; and a yarn guide device for guiding yarns for the needles of said plurality of needle rows, said device extending across said framework and being mounted on said uprights for back and forth movement in the direction of its length, said device having means for guiding each of the yarns into the zone where said bars intermesh along a line determined by the position of said device relative to said uprights.

2. A tufting machine comprising means for feeding fabric to be tufted, a plurality of spaced parallel rows of needles extending laterally across the path of the fabric, the needles of one of said rows being located at longitudinal lines extending between needles of another of said rows, a pair of movable yarn feeding means having elongated intermeshing elements projecting therefrom for gripping and causing undulations of yarns passing in generally side by side relation therebetween, means for driving said yarn feeding means in a direction to advance the yarns toward said plural rows of needles, yarn guide means for guiding the yarns for the needles of all of said rows to the zone of intermeshing of said elements, at least some of said elements having indentations therein spaced along their lengths to vary the rate of delivery of yarns from said zone of intermeshing to form piles of different heights, and means mounting said yarn guide means so that it may be moved lengthwise of said elements to change the paths of the individual yarns through said zone of intermeshing of said elements.

3. A tufting machine comprising means for feeding fabric to be tufted, a first row of needles extending across the path of the fabric, a second row of needles extending across the path of the fabric parallel to said first row with the needles of said second row disposed approximately midway between the needles of said first row, means for moving all of said needles together into and out of the fabric to form rows of tufts, said first row of needles being spaced from said second row of needles a distance approximately equal to a whole number times the distance between adjacent tufts formed by a single needle, a pair of movable yarn feeding means having elongated intermeshing elements projecting therefrom for gripping and causing undulations of yarns passing in generally side by side relation therebetween, means for driving said yarn feeding means in a direction to advance the yarns toward said first and second rows of needles, yarn guide means for guiding the yarns for the needles of both of said rows to the zone of intermeshing of said elements with yarns for the needles of the first row being disposed between yarns for the needles of the second row, at least some of said elements having indentations therein spaced along their lengths to vary the rate of delivery of yarns from said zone of intermeshing to form piles of different heights, and means mounting said yarn guide means so that it may be moved lengthwise of said elements to change the paths of the individual yarns through said zone of intermeshing of said elements.

4. A tufting machine comprising means for feeding fabric to be tufted, a first row of needles extending across the path of the fabric, a second row of needles extending across the path of the fabric parallel to said first row with the needles of said second row disposed approximately midway between the needles of said first row, means for moving all of said needles together into and out of the fabric to form rows of tufts, said first row of needles being spaced from said second row of needles a distance approximately equal to twice the distance between adjacent tufts formed by a single needle, a first chain assembly having elongated bars extending transversely thereof, a second chain assembly having elongated bars extending transversely thereof and disposed in intermeshing relationship with respect to the bars on said first chain assembly, means for driving said chain assemblies in a direction to advance yarns passing through the zone of intermeshing of said bars toward said first and second rows of needles, certain of said bars having spaced indentations in their projecting edges, a yarn guide member having openings therein for receiving all of the yarns for said first and second rows of needles and for guiding the yarns into the zone of intermeshing of said bars in generally side by side relation, the openings in said member for receiving the yarns passing to the needles to said first row being disposed between the openings for receiving the yarns passing to the needles of said second row, each of said elongated bars being of sufficient length to receive all of the yarns passing from said yarn guide member, and means for mounting said yarn guide member so that it may be moved lengthwise of said bars to change the paths of the individual yarns through said zone of intermeshing of said bars.

5. A tufting machine comprising means for feeding fabric to be tufted, a first row of needles extending across the path of the fabric, a second row of needles extending across the path of the fabric parallel to said first row with the needles of said second row being disposed between the needles of said first row, means for moving all of said needles together into and out of the fabric to form rows of tufts, said first row of needles being spaced from said second row of needles a distance approximately equal to a Whole number times the distance between adjacent tufts formed by a single needle, a first chain assembly having bars extending transversely thereof and projecting therefrom, a second chain assembly having bars extending transversely thereof and projecting therefrom to intermesh with the bars on said first chain assembly, means for driving said chain assemblies with said bars in intermeshing relationship, a transversely extending yarn guiding member having openings therein for guiding yarns between said chain assemblies where said yarns are crimped by said intermeshing bars and advanced toward the first and second rows of needles of the machine by the movement of said chain assemblies, there being one of said openings for each of said yarns being fed to said needles, certain of said bars having spaced indentations in their projecting edges, and means for shifting said yarn guide member back and forth lengthwise of said bars to change the paths of the individual yarns through said Zone of intermeshing of said bars.

6. A tufting machine comprising: means for feeding fabric to be tufted; a plurality of spaced parallel rows of needles extending laterally across the path of said fabric; strand delivery means for causing a plurality of strands to be concurrently fed for individually controlled delivery to said plural rows of needles whereby the rates of delivery of at least some of said strands at times differ from the rates of delivery of others of said strands according to one pattern sequence; and means for changing the feed paths of all of said strands in relation to said strand delivery means whereby the rates of delivery of at least some of said strands at times differ from the rates of delivery of others of said strands according to another pattern sequence.

References (Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,411,267 l-lamrick Nov. 19, 1946 2,853,032 Odenweller Sept. 23, 1958 2,853,034 Crawford Sept. 23, 1958 2,912,945 Nowicki Nov. 17, 1959 2,935,037 Card May 3, 1960 2,976,829 Card Mar. 28, 1961 3,026,830 Bryant et al Mar. 27, 1962 

1. A WIDE TUFTING MACHINE COMPRISING: MEANS FOR FEEDING FABRIC TO BE TUFTED; A PLURALITY OF SPACED, PARALLEL ROWS OF NEEDLES EXTENDING LATERALLY ACROSS THE PATH OF SAID FABRIC; A RIGID FRAMEWORK INCLUDING A PAIR OF UPRIGHTS AT THE SIDES OF THE MACHINE AND A HORIZONTAL CROSS MEMBER CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END PORTIONS OF SAID UPRIGHTS; A LOWER BAR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A RIGID SUPPORT CONNECTED AT ITS ENDS TO SAID UPRIGHTS SO AS TO PERMIT VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT OF ITS END PORTIONS, SCREW JACKS MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE END PORTIONS OF SAID SUPPORT TO FACILITATE VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT THEREOF, A DRIVE SHAFT CARRIED BY SAID UPRIGHTS AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAID FRAMEWORK BELOW SAID SUPPORT, VERTICALLY ALIGNED SETS OF SPROCKET WHEELS FIXED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND TO SAID SUPPORT AT INTERVALS ALONG THEIR LENGTHS, ENDLESS CHAINS PASSING AROUND THE ALIGNED SPROCKET WHEELS, AND A SET OF BARS EACH EXTENDING ENTIRELY ACROSS AND BEING CONNECTED TO ALL OF SAID CHAINS OF SAID LOWER ASSEMBLY; AN UPPER BAR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER RIGID HORIZONTAL BEAMS SPACED VERTICALLY FROM EACH OTHER AND BEING CONNECTED INDEPENDENTLY AT THEIR END PORTIONS TO SAID UPRIGHTS SO AS TO PERMIT VERTICAL ADJUSTMENTS OF THEIR END PORTIONS, VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE HANGER MEANS SUSPENDED FROM SAID CROSS MEMBER AND CONNECTED TO SAID 